March 22 Accident Fatally Injured 14

As part of its continuing investigation into a plane crash in Montana, the National Transportation Safety Board will open the public accident docket on Friday, December 3, 2010.

On March 22, 2009, at 1430 mountain daylight time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N128CM, crashed near the approach end of runway 33 at Bert Mooney Airport (BTM), Butte, Montana. The airplane was owned and operated by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Oregon, as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. All 14 people on board the airplane were killed in the accident. There were no ground injuries.

The flight departed Oroville Municipal Airport, Oroville, California, at 1110 Pacific Daylight Time (1210 mountain daylight time) on an instrument flight rules flight plan and was destined for Gallatin Field, Bozeman, Montana. The airplane was diverting to Butte at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide analysis. The docket includes: investigative group factual reports, interview summaries, crew statements, air traffic control transcripts, controller statements, the meteorology report, and other documents.   

Pilatus PC-12 File Photo

Additional material will continue to be added to the docket as it becomes available. Analysis of the accident, along with conclusions and a determination of probable cause, will come at a later date when the final report on the investigation is completed.

The docket material will be made available at 1000 EST on December 3 on the NTSB website at in the FOIA electronic reading room. Details are listed by date.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/dockets/foia_fri-dockets.htm#Aviation2010